TEHRAN - A representative of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation in Iran has dismissed any issues regarding the implementation of the cancellation of group travel visas between the two nations.

“There is no issue on the Russian side regarding this matter,” ISNA quoted Belkin Yakov as saying on Wednesday.

The official noted that the mechanism for canceling group visas between the two countries was put into effect in August 2023.

The first group, comprising representatives of government and private agencies, traveled from Iran to Russia in September without visas, while reciprocally, a delegation from the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, along with representatives from several tourist agencies, visited Mazandaran province, he explained.

“These travels marked the commencement of visa-free tourist exchange between Iran and Russia.”

However, at the beginning of establishing the mechanism for exchanging group tourists without visas, minor problems occurred, including the lack of awareness by migration police in Iran and Russia about this mechanism, he said.

The official said after holding several meetings with representatives of the migration police, the Iranian Ministry of Tourism, and the Touring & Automobile Club of Iran (the coordinating body for visa-free group travel between the two countries), this issue was resolved.

From then until the end of 2023, five groups comprising approximately 100 people from Russia traveled to Iran without visas, he added.

Earlier this month, some Russian tourist agencies working with Iran revealed the promised visa-free regime for Iranian tourist groups had not been fully realized and was fraught with difficulties.

They said, despite the agreement, many Iranian tourists intending to visit Russia are still required to obtain [electronic] visas, even when traveling in groups.

In that regard, a manager of a Russian agency operating in St. Petersburg expressed “While some approved agencies can facilitate visa-free travel for groups of five or more Iranians, the process is excessively complex and lengthy, prompting most agencies to opt for traditional visa applications instead.”

The manager highlighted that Russian tourists face no such issues when traveling to Iran in groups. Iran is particularly appealing to Russians interested in history, but financial constraints and banking limitations have hindered travel.

Similarly, an Iranian manager of another tourism agency based in Russia verified that statement, adding that despite years of organizing tours from Iran to Russia, they prefer to work with Iranian tourists with visas due to the complexities of the visa-free process.

He added that the issuance of electronic visas by Russia is now much simpler and quicker, serving as an alternative to traditional visas, with processing times as short as four days.

The bilateral visa-free tourist exchanges were supposed to benefit Iranian or Russian groups of five to 50 travelers for up to 15 days at a time.

AM